Entebbe/Kampala – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Sunday evening hosted the first National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus of the 12th Parliament at State House Entebbe, where the ruling party formally endorsed Jacob Marksons Oboth Oboth as its candidate for Speaker of Parliament and Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker.
The endorsements followed a series of withdrawals by other aspirants after decisions made by the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), chaired by President Museveni. The party caucus unanimously rallied behind the duo as the official NRM flag bearers ahead of Monday’s parliamentary elections.
In his address, President Museveni congratulated the candidates and reiterated the NRM’s long-standing opposition to what he described as “bad politics” rooted in identity, religion, tribalism, and sectarianism.
He urged Members of Parliament to focus on solving citizens’ challenges through wealth creation and socio-economic transformation, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, ICT, services, and artisanship.
Museveni also reminded legislators that leadership should be anchored in discipline, patriotism, and service delivery rather than personal ambition and privileges.
Photos from the caucus meeting showed the President posing with Oboth-Oboth, Tayebwa, and jubilant NRM legislators at the State House gathering, signaling growing unity within the ruling party ahead of the leadership vote.
Oboth-Oboth, the MP for West Budama Central and State Minister for Defence, and Tayebwa, the outgoing Deputy Speaker and MP for Ruhinda North, emerged as the party’s preferred candidates after internal consultations that saw several contenders step aside in the spirit of party cohesion.
With the NRM maintaining an overwhelming majority in Parliament, the endorsed candidates are widely expected to secure victory in Monday’s elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
However, the developments have sparked mixed reactions across political circles and social media platforms, with some critics questioning the transparency and competitiveness of the internal selection process amid ongoing public scrutiny of Parliament and previous controversies involving iron sheets (mabaati) scandals that implicated several senior leaders.
Opposition parties, including National Unity Platform (NUP), are also expected to field candidates, among them Paul Mwiru, although analysts say they face an uphill task against the ruling party’s numerical strength in the House.
As the 12th Parliament prepares to elect its leadership on May 25, attention now turns to whether the incoming team will deliver on promises of accountability, effective legislation, and improved service delivery, or continue to face criticism over Parliament’s oversight role.
Watchdog Uganda will continue following developments and providing updates on the unfolding parliamentary leadership race.
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